Exploring the benefits of the 4th industrial revolution: The Nigerian experience

Abstract

This paper identified the ways in which Nigeria and her Information technology professionals can beneficially position themselves in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). The fourth industrial revolution refers to a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines, economies and industries, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. The research identified that key driving forces for the fourth industrial revolution included disruptive technologies, Internet of Things, Robotics, Artificial intelligence, and Virtual Reality. Skills that would be sort after in this digital economic era include professionals who have expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, as well as proactive developers who can build dynamic systems to suit into the digital revolution. Nigeria as seen in the research missed out on the three previous industrial revolutions and is about to miss out on the fourth industrial revolution and the research proffers solutions on how to prevent this disaster from happening and the role IT educators need to play to ensure a smooth glide of the Nigerian economy into the fourth industrial revolution.

Key words: Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, Computing, It Professionals